Door latch



June 16, 1942. EFRI 2,286,674

I DOOR LATCH Filed Jan. 13, 1941 fPzdMZ/ri INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS I Patented June 36, 1942 'nnirap sraras raraalr areaair noon rarer-i near. Gefri, Hrvington, N. r. Application January 13, 194l,'S erialNo. 374,288 7 2 Claims. (oi. 292-359) The present invention relates to door latches and more particularly to latches for motor vehicle doors. i

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of a door latch associated with .the inner door handle and embodying means for latching the door on the interior of the vehicle to prevent accidental or unauthorized opening of the door.

Another object of the invention resides in the I provision of a latch device attached to the inner door handle which will automatically latch the door from the interior of the vehicle to prevent accidental opening thereof.

The invention also consists in certain other features of constructionandin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing whereinner door handle depressed for releasing the latch. A

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the mechanism raised for latching the door.

Referring to the drawing for. a more detailed description thereof, a motor vehicle door is generally designated by the reference numeral 5, the interior .of which is provided with the usual upholstery E, the outer portion of the door being relation thereto.

A stub shaft l3 that is substantially square-shaped in cross section, projects from one end of the cylinder 62 to which the inner door handle it is attached by means of a pin or the like l5. As is to be understood, the cylinder 8 i provided with a cap it suitably secured to the end of the cylinder and the shaft it extends through an opening ill formed in said cap. For presenting a finished appearance to the handle and the interior of the car, there is provided an ornamental annular "member it which surrounds the inner end of the handl id and is suitably held in engagement with the upholstery 6. I

The other end of the cylinder i2 is provided with a shaft it that is also substantially square- I designated by the reference numeral l. The improved latch comprises an outer cylinder 3 fixedly held within the door and which extends through the upholstery a into the interior of the door as is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. Vehicle doors are ordinarily provided with a central trace 9 and the cylinder E3 is attached thereto by means of a pair of angular brackets id, said brackets fastened to the brace 9 by bolts or the like M, the projecting v end of the cylinder 8 having the brackets id welded or otherwise secured thereto.

An inner cylinder i2 is mounted within the cylinder 8 for rotary and axial movement with shaped in cross section,' said shaft extending through an opening it formed in the central. brace 9. The shaft 59 also extends through an arm 2! which arm is connected at its lower end to a lever QB-that connects with the conventional door locking mechanism, not shown. A plate 23 7 formed with flanges 2a is suitably secured to the central brace 9 and forms a cover for the arm 25.

The shaft it extends through an opening 25 formed in the plate 23, the outer end of the arm supporting a washer 26. A tension spring 21! is disposed between the washer 2t and the face of the plate 23, said spring adapted to return the shaft it and cylinder 52 to normal position upon the release of pressure on the handle it as will hereinafter appear.

The end of the cylinder 8 that is in engage-= ment withthe central brace 9 is closed asindk cated at 28 and said closed end is formed with an arcuate-shaped slot 2%, through which a pin 38 is adapted to project. -The pin 3b is carried .by the inner cylinder 92 and when in' engagev ment with the slot .29 will prevent actuation oi the door locking mechanism.

j The pin at by reason of its engagement in the slot 25 prevents the handle id from being moved downwardly to operate the arm 25 and lever 22' which would normally release the door locking mechanism. However, the handle it can. be I moved upwardly for latching the door from the interior of the car in the conventional manner.

In order to open the door from the interior of a the car, the handle it must be pulled inwardly which moves the cylinder l2 and its shafts i3 and I9 and at the same time the pin dd'will be v retracted fromthe slot 29.. with the handle pulled inwardly and by depressing downwardly 1 thereon, the arm 2i and lever '22 will be actuated in the normal manner to retract the door lochautomatically lock the door.

ing mechanism. As the handle [4 is pulled inwardly tension will be created on the spring 21 and upon the release of pressure on said handle, the spring 21 will return the cylinder l2 and its pin 30 to normal position, which position includes engagement of the pin 30 in the slot 29 to again In Figure 4 of the drawing, it will be observed that the pin 30 has been retracted from the slot 29 and that the handle I4 has been pressed downwardly for releasing the door locking mechanism. In Figure 5 of the drawing, the pin 30 is shown in the uppermost portion of the slot 29 with the handle l4 moved upwardly, which position said handle would assume when locking the door in the conventional manner. In Figure 2 the inner cylinder I2 is shown in the position it would assume with the handle l4 being pulled inwardly ,for retracting the pin 30 from the slot 29.

Thus it will be seen that animproved latching means has been incorporated within the conventional mechanism of a motor vehicle .door for automatically locking the door, thereby precluding accidental opening thereof. In parking. a vehicle, certain locks require that the inside handle be moved upwardly and the present improvement has been designed for use therewith. In all instances, however, it is necessary to depress the inner handle in order to release the lock for opening the door from the interior of the car and in accordance with the present invention, said handle must be pulled inwardly, or

' toward the operator of the handle, which will permit disengagement of the pin 30 from the slot 29 whereupon downward movement of the handle ll will actuate the conventional locking mechabe made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed ln the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

l.In a door latch of the character described, a cylindrical casing adapted to be mounted in transversely fixed position in a door, the said casing having an inwardly directed annular flange at theinner end provided with an arcuate slot, a cylindrical plungermounted to. turn and to slide axially in the-casing, a shaft section secured to and extending axially outward of the plunger and casing, an operating handle fastened to the outer end of the said shaft section, an inner shaft section secured to and extending axially from the plunger and through the inner end of the casing, a pin secured eccentrically to the inner end of the plunger and projecting a spring means disposed to yieldingly slide the plunger to an inward position and cause the pin to engage the arcuate slot.

-2. In a door latch of the character described, a cylindrical casing adapted tobemounted in a transverse position in a door, the inner end of the said casing having an inwardly directed flange provided with an-arcuate slot, a cylindrical plunger axially slidable and rotatable in the casing,'a pin secured in an eccentric position to the inner end of the said plunger and projecting axially inward thereof, an outer shaft section secured to the outer end of the plunger and extending axially therefrom through the cuter end of the casing, an operating handle fastened to the outer end of the said shaft section,

an inner shaft section secured to the inner end arcuate slot whereby to releasably hold the latch operatingarm in-latch closing position.

' FRED J. GEFRI. 

